2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport - Time Splitter

An 871-rwhp blown Grand Sport built for cruising the streets in style

These days, it's getting pretty tough to know what just pulled up next to you at a stoplight. Tuners like Vengeance Racing are pumping out big power late-model Corvettes every day of the week and some look stock and make 1,000 horsepower while others look like show cars and make 500. Some cars run a number with little to nothing done, while others sound like a top fuel car and run just like a stock one. Is that a brand-new C7 over there with a paper tag on it or did I just hear it do 144 miles an hour down the track? Is this a stock C6 with a couple of carbon bits and a set of wheels or an 871-rwhp, 415 cubic-inch, supercharged monster that looks every bit as good as it runs? Yes.

What you're looking at here is Wayne Marinello's 2010 Corvette Grand Sport, which is a Vengeance Racing built super Vette that combines serious power with stunning good looks. And honestly, it all starts under that silver cowl hood, where the stock LS3 engine was pushed to the limit thanks to a 4-inch stroker Callies crankshaft, a set of matching Callies connecting rods, and an octet of custom 9.5:1 compression Diamond pistons. That combination was good for 415 cubic-inches in the dry-sump–equipped LS3 block, and was assembled by the crew at Pro Line Racing prior being topped with a set of LS3 cylinder heads by the technicians at Vengeance. The camshaft, which is always a priority for a Vengeance Racing build, was chosen to complement the larger than stock cubic-inches, the factory LS3 heads, and a little bit of boost…

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That's right, a little bit of boost was certainly part of the recipe here, with Wayne looking for maximum performance, power, and reliability on a somewhat sane budget. A&A Corvette Performance supplied the centrifugal supercharger system, which was upgraded with a Vortech YSi headunit for maximum power output at wide open throttle. To ensure trouble free operation, Vengeance Racing also upgraded the pulley system to an 8-rib direct drive, and made sure to expel compressed air quickly with a Mondo blow off valve. That also makes it sound cool, which is always a plus.

Understanding the big boost and street driving can add up to disaster, Vengeance made sure to upgrade Wayne's fuel system to handle the incoming air, adding both a complete in-tank Fore Innovations twin fuel system complete with 1,000cc injectors and a Snow Performance dual nozzle methanol injection kit. If that sounds like a lot of fuel and octane support, it is, but you never want to be in a situation where you've got too much air and too little fuel. Ask your buddy with the burnt piston collection if you don't know what we mean.

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Backing all of this power was no easy task, although you'd be surprised to know that Wayne's C6 still sports the factory transmission and independently suspended rearend. Really, the only driveline upgrade was a triple-disc clutch from RPS Performance Clutches, which holds the power just fine and allows for easy street driving, even in Atlanta traffic. The wheels and tires are obviously no longer factory supplied, with the rolling stock upgraded to a set of Savini forged wheels wrapped in Nitto tires to help keep the power planted to the ground.

What was all the work worth? Well, how about an amazing 871 rear wheel horsepower and a stout 762 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels! That's roughly double what the Grand Sport shipped from the factory with and it's more than enough to get anyone in serious trouble on the street or track, but don't ask us how we know…

That said, there is more to this build than just shear power, as Wayne set out to build a gorgeous machine capable of looking just as good standing still as it does at speed. The silver paint is accented nicely by a set of carbon- fiber accessories, which came from RPI Designs. The rear spoiler and side skirts accentuate the bodylines of the Grand Sport, while the front splitter adds to the aggressive demeanor. It's also very, very low to the ground (again, don't ask…) but that's just the cost (literally) of looking this cool. Inside, a nicely appointed interior is matched to a solid stereo system and enough high-tech radar detection devices to make the stealth bomber jealous. Of course, when you've got a Corvette capable of running this fast, you're going to need all of the help you can get out there on the road. Not that Wayne or the Vengeance Racing staff would know anything about that…